Article schema is the structured data markup that describes an editorial page, such as a news story, blog post or feature, using the Article type and its subtypes from the Schema.org vocabulary. In structured data for SEO, it gives search engines explicit, machine-readable facts about the page: the headline, the publication and modification dates, the author, the publisher and the representative images.
Search engines can usually infer much of this from the visible page, but Article markup removes ambiguity. It helps them choose the correct title, image and dates for search features, attribute content to the right author and connect the article with other entities in their knowledge systems.
How Article schema works
Article schema is a set of typed properties attached to the page, most often written in JSON-LD inside a script element of type application/ld+json. The parser reads the @context value, which points to Schema.org, and the @type value, which declares the page an Article, NewsArticle or BlogPosting.
Each property maps a fact on the page to a defined meaning. The headline property states the title, datePublished and dateModified state the timeline in ISO 8601 format, author points to a Person or Organization, and image lists one or more representative images. Search engines then compare the markup with the visible content and use it only when the two agree.
The following table lists the properties that matter most in practice and what each one controls.
| Property | Expected value | What it influences |
|---|---|---|
| headline | Text matching the visible title | Title shown in some search features |
| image | One or more image URLs or ImageObject | Thumbnail in results and news surfaces |
| datePublished | ISO 8601 date and time with time zone | Displayed date and freshness signals |
| dateModified | ISO 8601 date of a real update | Freshness when content changed |
| author | Person or Organization with name and url | Authorship attribution |
| publisher | Organization with name and logo | Source identification |
Article subtypes and when to use them
Schema.org defines Article as a generic parent type with more specific subtypes. Choosing the subtype that matches the content makes the description more precise, while using the parent type remains valid when no subtype fits.
| Type | Intended content | Typical publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Article | Any editorial piece | Magazines, corporate sites, generic content |
| NewsArticle | Timely reporting on events | News organizations and newsrooms |
| BlogPosting | Posts in a blog format | Company blogs and personal blogs |
| TechArticle | How-to and technical documentation | Developer portals and product docs |
| ScholarlyArticle | Academic or research papers | Journals and university repositories |
| Report | Formal reports from organizations | Agencies, analysts and institutions |
Search engines treat these subtypes similarly for rich display. The subtype itself does not unlock extra features, so accuracy matters more than picking the type that sounds most authoritative.
Article schema compared with neighboring structured data
Article schema is one building block among several that describe an editorial page. It is often combined with other types rather than replacing them, and each type answers a different question about the page.
| Markup | Question it answers | Typical combination with Article |
|---|---|---|
| Article | What is this piece of content | The main entity of the page |
| BreadcrumbList | Where the page sits in the hierarchy | Added alongside on the same page |
| Organization | Who publishes the site | Referenced as the publisher |
| Person | Who wrote the content | Referenced as the author |
| FAQPage | Which questions the page answers | Only when a real FAQ is present |
| VideoObject | Which video the page contains | Nested or linked when a video is embedded |
Article markup also differs from rich results eligibility in general. Some structured data types produce distinct visual enhancements, while Article mainly improves understanding and attribution, with visible effects such as correct dates, images and bylines in news and discover surfaces.
Implementing Article schema correctly
Correct implementation means generating the markup from the same data that renders the page. Content management systems usually output it from template fields, which keeps the headline, dates and author consistent with what visitors see.
- Use JSON-LD as the format, placed in the head or body of the HTML.
- Provide high-resolution images in several aspect ratios, such as 16:9, 4:3 and 1:1, where possible.
- Include time zones in dates, for example
2026-11-10T08:00:00+01:00, to avoid shifted display dates. - Describe authors as Person entities with a url pointing to an author profile page.
- Use a stable @id for the publisher so all articles reference the same Organization entity.
- Validate with a rich results test and a schema validator before and after template changes.
On sites rendered with JavaScript, the markup must be present in the rendered HTML. Search engines process JSON-LD added by scripts, but delayed or failed rendering can leave pages without it.
Common Article schema mistakes
Most problems with Article markup are consistency errors, not syntax errors. Validators catch broken JSON, but they cannot judge whether the markup tells the truth about the page.
| Mistake | Consequence | Correct approach |
|---|---|---|
| Updating dateModified without changes | Misleading freshness, possible loss of trust | Change it only for meaningful edits |
| Headline differs from visible title | Markup ignored or inconsistent display | Output the same title from one field |
| Author as plain text string | Weak attribution to a real entity | Use a Person object with name and url |
| Missing or tiny images | No thumbnail in news surfaces | Supply large images in several ratios |
| Article markup on category pages | Wrong page type described | Use it only on individual articles |
| Duplicate conflicting blocks | Plugins and themes output two versions | Keep a single source of markup |
Structured data is not a ranking shortcut. Article schema helps search engines understand and display content correctly, but it cannot compensate for weak content or missing relevance.
In plain words
Article schema is like a label on the back of a book that lists the title, the author, the publisher and the date it was printed. Anyone could find those facts by reading the cover and the first pages, but the label makes them quick and unambiguous.
For a web page, this label is hidden code that search engines read. It tells them exactly what the article is called, who wrote it and when, so they can show those details correctly in search results.
A real-world example
A regional news website notices that search results often show the wrong date for its stories, sometimes the date of a later comment, and that some articles appear without thumbnails in news carousels. Its theme outputs no structured data, and a plugin adds incomplete markup on only some templates.
The developers replace both with a single NewsArticle block generated from the CMS fields. It includes the headline, the publication time with the correct +01:00 time zone, a dateModified value set only by editors, the reporter as a Person entity with a profile page and three image sizes. After the change, validation shows no errors on 12,000 articles, displayed dates match the publication time and thumbnails appear consistently in news surfaces.